American Couple Safe, Not Detained in Nicaragua

Earlier this week, it sounded as if a Washington-state couple had been detained in Nicaragua and held up for bribe money. Now, the State Department says they weren't.

On Thursday, the whereabouts of Dave and Leiann Scee were unknown. The couple had reportedly been sailing from Honduras to Costa Rica, and according to Dave Scee's daughter, they'd called to say they were in trouble.

"We don't know a whole lot," Danielle Blagdon, Scee's daughter, told ABC News. "He called Monday morning and he just said they were having trouble with immigration and the military there and they weren't treating them very nicely, but they were O.K. and they might have to buy their way to Costa Rica."

It's still unclear what actually happened, but the State Department tells ABC News that the couple is fine and weren't held.

"The U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua is in contact with the individuals in question and has confirmed they are safe and were not detained," a State Dept. official said, declining to say more due to privacy concerns.